2012 King Estate Oregon Pinot Gris

SKU #1141371
90
points
Wine Enthusiast

*Editors' Choice* This is a classic vintage for Oregon Pinot Gris, and King Estate sets the benchmark. Lovely texture, structure and minerality are on display, along with rich pear and apple flavors sculpted by balancing acidity. The well-defined finish continues smoothly with a streak of fresh lime.
(2/ 2014)

Wine Spectator

Light and distinctive, with apricot and guava nuances to the grapefruit flavors, lingering on the silky finish. Drink now. (Web-2014)

K&L Notes

A 100% stainless steel, temperature controlled tank fermentation was followed by fine months of aging sur lie, imparting added weight, texture, and complexity to the natural fresh fruit aromas and flavors of this delicious and value-priced Pinot Gris. Winemaker's notes: "Nose: Fresh lemon zest, pineapple, passion fruit, perfumed violets, orange and wildflower honey. Flavor: Fresh lemon and pineapple, ripe pear, honey, and passion fruit. The flavors finish with a subtle wet stone character and a hint of lees. Mouthfeel: Enters soft, supple and round with the fresh acid and mellow sweetness creating a flowing balance. Medium body continues through the mid-palate and into a smooth and lingering finish. Drink now-2015."

2012 King Estate Oregon Pinot Gris

Wine Scores

Below is a listing of the wine review scores we frequently reference in our notes. While these sources remain an excellent source of information, we always recommend that you trust your own palate. Scores in these publications often represent the personal taste of an individual critic, which may not always coincide with your own. We have a huge team of excellent wine professionals that can match wines you've had in the past with new arrivals that meet your flavor profile.

Additional Information:

Varietal:

Pinot Gris

- Also known as Pinot Gris in France, where it originated as a mutation of Pinot Noir. The berries can vary in color from yellowish to bluish-violet producing wines that range from white to slightly pink. The most successful wines from the grape come from the Collio in Friuli (Northeast Italy), where the wines are light- to medium-bodied, crisp, dry and, because of their high acidity, complementary to the region's foods like speck, Prosciutto di San Daniele and polenta. In Alsace, where the grape takes a back seat to more popular varietals like Gewürztraminer and Riesling, it is generally rich and honeyed. Other successful plantings of Pinot Grigio exist in Austria, Germany, Hungary and Romania, with even smaller amounts planted in British Columbia, Australia, New Zealand and California.

Country:

United States

- When people consider domestic wine, they normally think about the state of California. The fine viticultural Region within California, including the Napa Valley, Sonoma, Santa Cruz Mountains, Mendocino and Santa Barbara, are capable of growing grapes of world-class quality. But there's plenty of fabulous wine coming from other states, too. Oregon, Washington and New York are also causing eyebrows (and glassware) to be raised around the world. Click for a list of bestselling items from the United States.

Sub-Region:

Oregon

- Highly touted for its Pinot Noirs, Oregon is part of the up-and-coming winemaking industry in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Most of Oregon is directly affected by the climate coming off of the Pacific Ocean, giving it mild winters and wet summers. This makes it a difficult place to ripen grapes, but some say that the harder grapes have to struggle, the more complex they will turn out to be. Chardonnay and Pinot Gris are two important and successful grapes grown in Oregon.